Social and Behavioral Theories

6. Theory Use in Intervention Research

Recently, several reviews have examined which theories were used in health behavior intervention research and whether theory-based strategies are positively associated with desirable outcomes. Table 2 summarizes 11 systematic reviews published since 2000 – most within the past three years – that reported on theory use and in several cases, the effects of using theories for intervention design. They cover a range of behavioral topics: dietary fat and fruit and vegetable intake; cancer screening; injury prevention; HIV-related sexual risk behaviors; and contraception. These reviews also examined tailored print and computer-based interventions.